Samsung Galaxy Alpha

After weeks of rampant speculation, Samsung has unveiled the Galaxy Alpha smartphone for the world to see. The company says the device represents a "new design approach" that will roll out to all of its phones and tablets, a design that involves chamfered metal edges that are — dare we say it — reminiscent of Apple's iPhone.

Running Samsung's Android skin, the Galaxy Alpha is just 6.7mm thin and offers a 4.7-inch 720p display, a 12-megapixel camera and a quad-core or octa-core processor depending on which market you're in. There's 32GB of internal storage though no memory card slot. Overall, those specs aren't quite as impressive as those in the flagship Galaxy S5, launched in April, but this feels like a reboot of sorts for the South Korean manufacturer.

After clambering to the top of the mobile handset market, life has got increasingly tough for Samsung. It's being undercut by cheaper Chinese manufacturers and sales are on the slide as its rivals start to catch up. With more than half its operating profit coming from its mobile division, that's a problem that Samsung needs to address, and it will be hoping that the Galaxy Alpha can set it back on track.

The new premium materials used in the Galaxy Alpha will enable Samsung to produce the same handsets in a range of colors very easily, and the Alpha itself will be available with a black, white, gold or blue backing. The launch date has been pegged for September, but for now there's no word on price.

The details confirmed by Samsung match up with the rumors that have been leaking onto the web in recent days, though the new boxy metal sides are a departure that few expected. The S5 may still be the biggest and most feature-rich device in Samsung's line-up, but it's the Alpha that could be the most important launch of 2014 for Samsung. Now the ball is in Apple's court ahead of the iPhone 6 launch in September.